Carmel Central School District

Latest News

• Welcoming New Principals

  New principals have been hired this summer at Kent Primary School and Kent Elementary School.  

  Vincent Fino, who served as Assistant Principal at Carmel High School is the new principal at Kent Primary School. He replaces Dan Brown, who retired at the end of the school year.   

  At Kent Elementary School, new Principal John Fratto is replacing Michael Setaro, who took a position at Southern Westchester BOCES. Mr. Fratto also served as an Assistant Principal at Carmel High School.  

  With such great leadership in place, Kent Elementary and Kent Primary will be well prepared for a great 2024-25 school year.  

   

  District News

• Introducing Carmel's New Superintendent of Schools

  On July 1, Erin Meehan-Fairben, Ed.D.  will take over as the Carmel Central School District's new Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Fairben, who brings a wealth of experience, a proven track record of educational leadership and a deep commitment to student success, was appointed by the Board of Education in February.

  Dr. Fairben has been an educator for 32 years. She has taught at elementary, middle and high school as well as college-level courses for aspiring educators at SUNY Brockport, St. John Fisher, and Hobart and William Smith colleges.  She has held various leadership roles at both the building and district level including Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Pupil Personnel Services and Special Programs, Superintendent of the NYS School for the Blind, Director of P16, Assistant Superintendent and most recently as an Associate Superintendent at the Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES. Throughout her career, Dr. Fairben has worked tirelessly to support all students and has expanded educational opportunities for students through collaboration, effective communication, and visionary leadership.  Dr. Fairben brings with her decades of leadership experience in building strong relationships with her staff and community.   

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  District News

• The Class of 2028 Graduates from GFMS

  Almost 300 eighth graders graduated George Fischer Middle School on Tuesday to the sound of cheers and loud whoops from an auditorium full of family, friends, teachers and supporters. 

  "I have the privilege of being the principal of the best middle school in the state of New York," Principal Dr. Merica Neufville said before using an energy- boosting refrain the students have come to embrace. "Can I get a 'Whoop Whoop?'"   

  "Whoop Whoop," the students cried out. 

  Dr. Neufville continued her speech: 

  "You represent the new Carmel. You represent the tried-and-true Carmel," she said. "As you leave here and go to the high school, my wish for you is that you represent the don't-let-anything-stop-you Carmel." 

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  George Fischer Middle School News

• Congratulations to the Class of 2024

  Carmel High School’s 331 graduates enjoyed music, speeches and memories of their years together as they said goodbye Thursday to the Carmel Central School District.  

  “We began classes on Zoom and disguised ourselves under masks for some years,” Salutatorian Jennie Belle Aliaga said. “Further, we recall color day. The day most deserving of a bright blue sky was tainted by a deep orange hue. Thanks, Canada.  All this to say these misfortunes ended up making our high school years a little more unique and memorable.” 

  Her advice to the class: “Don’t wait. The best time for action will always be now.” 

  Valedictorian Luke Walters used his speech to share the glory and highlight the accomplishments of others in the class of 2024. He encouraged all his fellow graduates to aim high.  

  “If we leave here today and we give it 100%, our chances of success, be it professional, economic or even spiritual, will soar,” Luke said. “If we find great mentors along the way, they will teach us and they will help us to take risks that put us in the best position for success and, if the fates allow us to be at the right place at the right time, perhaps some of us will someday change the world.” 

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  Carmel High School News

• Watch the GFMS Graduations here

  George Fischer Middle School will hold two graduation ceremonies on Tuesday, June 25th.  Each of the graduations will be livestreamed here. 

  Watch the 1:30 graduation here

  Watch the 4 p.m. graduation here

  To order a DVD of the ceremonies, download this form and send it to the listed address. 

  George Fischer Middle School News

• Passport Day Takes Third Graders Around the World

  Third graders at Matthew Patterson Elementary School traveled around the world on Passport Day.   

  “I loved passport day this year,” said Damian, a third grader in Catherine DeToma’s class. “One of the things I liked was that our parents came. Another thing I liked was that it was so fun making my diorama. Also, it was so fun traveling from country to country.” 

  Parents, teachers and community members crowded into the hallways and classrooms that were decorated with flags from around the world.  

  “Passport Day is a day dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity and global awareness through the lens of different continents,” said third-grade teacher Michelle Belasco. “Each third-grade class immerses themselves in the study of a specific continent, researching countries, landmarks, and cultural aspects. The culmination of their efforts is showcased through dioramas and presentations, allowing students to share their newfound knowledge with families and caregivers.”    

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  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Middle School Mindfulness

  The sixth graders took deep breaths, closed their eyes and meditated on kind thoughts about a person close to them. Next came the hard part; they had to think kind thoughts about themselves.   

  “It’s easier to say good things to other people,” said Sara Baio, the mindfulness instructor and social and emotional learning coach at George Fischer Middle School. “But it’s important to send thoughts of happiness to yourself. We spend too much time being hard on ourselves.”   

  Baio runs a pilot program that teaches fifth and sixth graders self-awareness and strategies to regulate their emotions. She visits independent study classes once a week for 15-minute mini lessons and invites students to come to her classes during their recess if they choose.  

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  George Fischer Middle School News

• Revolutionary Kent Elementary Students

  Fourth graders at Kent Elementary School learned about the Revolutionary War by participating in a drill with tri-corner hats, muskets, marching and more. Colonial and Revolutionary history are part of the fourth grade curriculum and George Fischer Middle School Social Studies Teacher Keith Reilly and Carmel High School History Teacher Rob Buccheri came to the school to help bring the history to life for the youngsters.  KES Fourth Grade Teacher Cathleen Rossetti organized the event and GFMS Reading Teacher Denise Santalis took the photos. 

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  Kent Elementary School News

• The Revolution at Kent Primary School

  Fourth graders at Kent Primary School learned about the Revolutionary War by participating in a drill with tri-corner hats, muskets, marching and more. Colonial and Revolutionary history are part of the fourth grade curriculum and George Fischer Middle School Social Studies Teacher Keith Reilly and Carmel High School History Teacher Rob Buccheri came to the school to help the Kent Primary teachers bring the history to life for the youngsters.   KES Fourth Grade Teacher Cathleen Rossetti organized the event and GFMS Reading Teacher Denise Santalis took the photos.

  Kent Primary School News

• Science and Surprises for Research Students

  At the Carmel Science Research Symposium in May, seven seniors presented high-level research projects that ranged from topics like nicotine, to volcanoes, to the effect of noise pollution on songbirds.  

  But as the 30 science research students in grades ten through 12 displayed their projects to curious teachers, parents, administrators and friends, several mentioned all the non-scientific things they learned by joining the three-year program.  

  “It’s all about your own self-discipline,” said Halina White, a junior. “I think it really prepares you for adult life and college.” 

  Halina’s project this year was “Analyzing Awareness and Interest in Different Sustainability Methods in Putnam County.” Students can change projects from one year to the next or expand upon a project in successive years.  

  Junior Maia Thompson agreed that the science research program teaches independent learning.  

  “I really like the fact that the research is all student-led,” Maia said. “I got the opportunity to explore my own interests.” 

  Dr. Nicole Griffin, who has taught the science research program since 2015, said that helping students to become independent thinkers who follow their own interests is a foundation of the program.  

  “I was a student in science research when I went to school here,” said Griffin, a Carmel High School alum. “It was the same way back then.” 

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  Carmel High School News

• Carmel High School Teacher Heads to Court

  Carmel High School Social Studies Teacher Susan Tornatore will travel to Washington, D.C. in June to attend the prestigious Supreme Court Summer Institute.  

  Tornatore teaches senior Economics and Law, a required course at Carmel High School.  

  “The institute will enrich my understanding of how the SCOTUS operates, selects cases and makes decisions,” Tornatore said. “I am eager to learn how I can integrate recent Supreme Court decisions into our law curriculum in a way that is meaningful for our students. The activity I am looking forward to the most is being present for a live reading of a decision by the justices at the Supreme Court on June 13th.” 

  The Institute offers teachers the opportunity to study recent Supreme Court cases in detail and learn innovative teaching methods for conveying this information to students. Well-known Supreme Court lawyers, reporters, scholars, and educators will be among the speakers and instructors for the Institute. A recent evaluation of the Supreme Court Summer Institute found that, after the program, teachers who attended felt much more confident discussing controversial issues and Supreme Court cases in their classrooms, discussed Supreme Court cases and used interactive teaching strategies more frequently, and gained critical knowledge about the U.S. Supreme Court. 

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  Carmel High School News

• All Roads Lead to Carmel

  In the spirit of “One Carmel” Kent Primary School Principal Dan Brown sent home a survey this winter asking parents about their families’ heritage.  

  The survey was optional, of course, but almost 200 parents gladly answered.  

  “In America, most of us hail from somewhere else,” Principal Brown said. “Here at Kent Primary, we have a very diverse student body, and we want to celebrate that.”  

  When the results came in, Italy and Ireland were listed as parents’ homelands most often. A total of 71 parents (29 moms/42 dads) cited Italian as their heritage, while 42 parents (25 moms/17 dads) said their families traced their roots to Ireland. In all there were more than 60 countries – from Albania to Uzbekistan – represented.  

  After talking about their heritage, students throughout the school made flags of the country that their families emigrated from.  

  Art Teacher Sophie Bolla created a map with lines from countries across the globe all leading to Carmel.  

  The map now hangs in the front lobby for all to see.  

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  Kent Primary School News

• Recognizing Musical Talent

  At its May 7 meeting, the Carmel Board of Education recognized music students throughout the district who were selected for the All County and Honors ensembles. The Carmel Central School District Music Department has so much to be proud of each year. 

  “This year, we had over 50 students perform in Area All State,” said Music Department Chair Meghan Cabral. “We also had students perform with New York State School Music Association's All State festival and the New York State Band Directors' Association honor bands. Our George Fischer Middle School students stood out at the Putnam County Music Educators' Association all county festivals, too. This year we had over 70 students accepted! Each year we also have students earn Excellent and Outstanding ratings at the NYSSMA solo festival.”   
   
  Carmel Schools have been recognized as one of the best communities for music education by the National Association of Music Merchants’ (NaMM) for seven years running.   

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  District News

• Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage

  When a video of a young hula dancer played on the white board in Allison Keating’s classroom, some first graders caught their breath.  

  “She’s just a little girl,” Eva, who is six years old, said. “How does she know how to do that?”  

  Juliane, a classmate, quickly piped up.  

  “She’s not a little girl,” said Juliane, who is seven. “She might be six or seven years old or something.” 

  Soon the six and seven-year-olds in Kent Primary School’s four first grade classes were waving their arms, tapping their feet and doing their own hula dances. 

  The children celebrated Asian American Pacific Islander Month by dancing a Hawaiian hula, drawing Japanese cherry trees, cutting out and coloring Birds of Paradise from Papua New Guinea and creating masks of Chinese dragons. 

  See more photos 

  Kent Primary School News

• A Revolutionary March for Sixth Graders

  George Fischer Middle School sixth graders donned tri-corner hats and revolutionary garb for a historical walking tour of Carmel.  

  “We hiked the Fred Dill Sanctuary trail then went to Reed Memorial Library where Town Historian Alicia Briley spoke to the students about the history of Carmel,” Reading Teacher Denise Santalis said. “Then we marched across the street to the Sybil Ludington statue where students made an encampment with tents and then drilled.”  

  The field trip is a reading department tradition. It is the culmination of a unit of study about Sybil Ludington, Enoch Crosby and local history. Prior to the field trip, students read about Sybil Ludington, the 16-year-old daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington, and how she rallied the militia to make the march to Danbury, CT to fight the British. Students also read about Enoch Crosby, the first American spy. Known as one of the country’s first intelligence agents, Crosby predated the CIA by more than 150 years. He lived in Carmel and was a cobbler in Kent.  

  Santalis and the rest of the middle school reading staff -- Ornella Salza, Lisa Booth, Rich Tompkins and Lucy Weidenhamer – got help from Joe Ryan and Jon Svibruk of the Living History Educational Foundation. The foundation loaned the students the Revolutionary War uniforms, haversacks, cartridge boxes and wooden muskets. 

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  George Fischer Middle School News

• The 40th Annual CHS Student Art Show

  Ren Collina can easily rattle off the names of all the art classes that Carmel High School offers: Studio Art, Mixed Media, Drawing & Painting, Ceramics, Photography, Graphics, AP Portfolio and AP Art History. 

  She should know, she has taken most of them.  

  “I took seven art classes in high school,” said Ren, a senior who is headed to Ithaca College in the fall to study theater production and design. “I was basically in the art rooms all day. It is such a welcoming place. It was a great community to be part of.”  

  Ren was just one of 500 students whose work was displayed at the 40th Annual Carmel High School Student Art Show at Casey Hall in April.   

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  Carmel High School News

• Read All About It: Earth Day News

  Earth Day may be celebrated just one day a year but the fourth graders in Janine Avitabile’s reading class at Matthew Paterson Elementary School find ways to reduce, reuse and recycle all year long.  

  For Earth Day they made magazine covers – on a digital platform, not wasteful paper -- to show how small acts can have a big impact on the planet.  

  Layla made a magazine cover called “Saving the Earth” which featured a story about her magic cup.   

  “Whenever we are going to water the plants, we grab the magic cup,” she said. “We use the same cup every time, so we don’t have to throw it out or wash it.” 

  Alessia, who is known for creating projects for her room, said her mission was making art out of plastic bottles.  

  Addison made a special “Stop the Littering” issue of her magazine. The magazine noted that Addison’s mission is picking up litter at a local park.  

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  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Mental Health and Wellness at Carmel High School

  The hallway outside the gymnasium was filled with Carmel High School students who came to the school’s annual Mental Health and Wellness Fair to see what services local organizations offer.  

  “It’s a good way to get exposure to all the options that are out there in our community,” said Anabella Marte, a junior, who quickly finished work in her English class so that she could tour the fair.  

  Students picked up brochures, pinwheels and mints that the groups offered while they stopped to talk to representatives from agencies including the Putnam Community Action Program, the Putnam County Youth Bureau and the LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center. 

  Perhaps the biggest draw, however, was Mia, the therapy dog who came with representatives of Exceptional Sidekick, a nonprofit that provides service dogs to disabled teens and young adults.  

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  Carmel High School News

• An Art Lesson That's Catnip for Students

  Art Teacher Alex Lombardo’s project for Matthew Paterson Elementary School fourth graders was catnip to the students.   

  The assignment called for students to create portraits of cats posing as humans and dressed up in fancy clothes. It was in the style of digital artist Galina Bugaevskaya, who reimagines traditional portraits, but with cats dressed up as royalty.  

  “I guide the students in how to draw the cats in human pose,” Lombardo said. “They are welcome to change their clothes and accessorize the cat.” 

  The students in Katherine Allen’s fourth grade class could not have been more excited to add to the artist’s Cat Universe. 

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  Matthew Paterson Elementary School News

• Ensemble Rocks George Fischer Middle School

  The advisors of the Carmel Rock Ensemble club know how much fun the club at George Fischer Middle School can be for the students involved.  Of course they know; the club’s two advisors, George Fischer Middle School Music Teacher Donald “Buddy” Griffith and Aja Broderson, who teaches voice lessons in the community were members of the Rock Ensemble when they were seventh graders.  

  “It was in the 2002-2003 school year,” Broderson said. “We sang ‘Take Me to the River,’ ‘Holiday,’ by Madonna and ‘All Along the Watch Tower.”  

  At the Carmel Rock Ensemble concert in March, the songs were a mix of contemporary pop, rock and roll covers and even punk, but the advisors made sure all the songs were appropriate for middle school.  

  “We cover a variety of singing styles, artists and backgrounds,” Griffith said. “We make sure there are a lot of different instruments reflected in the songs. We try to include current songs because the kids love them.” 

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  George Fischer Middle School News